


Three Houses: White Sheep AU

by infinitenicknames



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: AU, Awakening kids go to Garreg Mach, Crossover, Fire Emblem: Awakening Spoilers, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Spoilers, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), Gen, Post-Awakening, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), White Sheep AU, i want them to interact, this is probably super self indulgent but i don't care
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:22:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29213367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infinitenicknames/pseuds/infinitenicknames
Summary: With Grima's death and the end of the reign on the Grimleal, the Shepherds are tasked with repairing the damage that has been done. Their focus shifts to a letter they had received from Lady Rhea, offering for some students a place to study at the Officer's Academy. After some debate, Lucina and the Young Shepherds head over to Garreg Mach to study among the students of Fodlan. What was supposed to be a quick year of study and build relations with the people of Fodlan becomes increasingly complicated as the Shepherds come to realized that some of what they heard happened to Fodlan in the destroyed timeline are still fated to happen in this timeline. Not only that, but familiar enemies seem to have mingled with the enemies of Fodlan. The Shepherds must decide to either stay out of the conflict, or risk destroying their people by getting involved in a war they barely understand.
Relationships: Azur | Inigo/Lucina, Cynthia/Gerome (Fire Emblem), Marc | Morgan/Nn | Nah
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	Three Houses: White Sheep AU

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Just a couple of quick notes before we start. In this AU, Ylisse is just west of Brigid and Dagda. Also F!Robin is called Reflet and F!Morgan is Mora. After this first part, the story is going to be split between longer Chapters, where the story progresses, and shorter Moments, which will be more based on smaller character interactions. I might throw on more tidbits in the notes as we go one, but that's all for now! Enjoy the read!

"So what you're saying is, we're backed into a corner?"

Robin sighed and grabbed the bridge of his nose. "We're not "backed into a corner". I'm just saying we need to be careful. We're  _ all _ in a precarious situation as it is and with how things are going, I don't think we can do this on our own." 

The other leaders fell silent. Now that Grima was dead it was up to the Shepherds to figure out what to do for repairs. Both the Altean and Valmese continents were ravaged by the recent wars, and the massacre at Dragon's Table had left Plegia spiralling out of control. They had some resources, but with how volatile things were no one was certain that they would be able to last. Plegia was especially unstable with the loss of their king, their religion, and almost a third of their already small population. Chrom had called together this emergency meeting to try and cobble together some sort of plan to help save the kingdoms before another war broke out.

"What do you propose we do then?" Flavia asked. "Ragna Ferox can't risk much more at this point. We lost a lot of men fighting against that damn Conqueror."

"Unfortunately the same can be said for all of Valm." Virion shook his head. He had been the only representative from Valm who had managed to attend the meeting, which didn't bode well for them. "Until we can settle on where to redraw borders and who’s in power, we can't provide much support I'm afraid."

"Then are there any allies we can call on?" Reflet, Robin's twin sister, pressed. "Anyone not present that could help us?" Everyone silently glanced between each other. Tension built in the room with each second that passed. "There has to be  _ someone  _ who'd be willing to lend support." Again, silence filled the room. Reflet balled up her fist, her mind spinning as she tried to come up with something. Lucina and the other young Shepherds had fought and sacrificed  _ everything _ to fix the damage Grima had caused. Robin and Reflet had nearly sacrificed their lives too. Reflet couldn't let it fall apart at the end like this.

Basilio finished off the last of his beer and forcefully set his cup down. The sound echoed through the quiet chamber as all eyes turned to him. "What about Fódlan?" Basilio grunted as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. 

"Who?" Lissa tilted her head.

"Fódlan. It's a continent not that far east from here. Just past Dagda and Brigid. Though," Basilio sighed and rubbed his forehead, "I guess you kids would be too young to remember. The Adrestian Empire used to be close to Ylisse and Ragna Ferox. Things kind of went silent after Emmeryn took the throne, but I'm sure we could get some sort of support from them."

"Isn't the Church of Seiros located there?" Chrom piped up.

Basilio's eye widened in surprise. "That’s their main religion there. How'd you know?"

"They tried to get in contact with me not long before the war with the Conqueror happened. I didn't have time to respond to them before we were dragged into the fight."

Basilio nodded in understanding. “The Church of Seiros basically runs Fódlan from what I understand. Why’d they get in contact with you?”

“Lady Rhea was offering a place for some students to go to study.” Chrom shrugged. “Something called the Officers Academy.” 

“I’ve heard of that Academy.” Virion stroked his chin. “Apparently it is an elite school that only a select few students from Fódlan ever get to attend. To get an invitation is rare, especially so for outsiders. It would be a brilliant opportunity to rebuild relations with the countries of Fódlan. After all, Fodlan might not be too willing to help as it is due to how quiet things have gotten between our nations. Students from The Adrestian Empire, The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Lester Alliance will all be attending.”

"Okay, but who on Earth would we send? I doubt a lot of people would be wanting to move to a different continent so soon after the last war." Reflet frowned. "Do we even know what kind of school this is?"

"From the little I've heard, it sounds like they teach some combat there, along with the history of Fódlan," Flavia noted. 

"Apparently the school was founded so that they could raise troops to fight foreign invaders. Though, I doubt that's their purpose now if they're inviting us to send students over." Virion added. 

Robin raised an eyebrow as he shot a look at Virion. "How do you know so much about them?" 

"Don't worry about the details. I simply have many connections." Virion smiled slyly. 

Robin shook his head. He knew better than to try and get that sort of information out of Virion. Robin turned back to Chrom who was whispering to his wife. “Do we know how many students we’re allowed to send?”

“I’m not sure.” Chrom shook his head. “They didn’t specify in the letter.”

Robin hummed as he rubbed his temple. The others tossed questions back and forth for a minute. Robin leaned forward in his seat and spoke over the others. "What if we sent the younger Shepherds?" Everyone fell silent and turned back to Robin. "They'll understand the importance of this mission. They'll surely take it seriously. Plus, there'd be at least a little representation for all of the kingdoms. Inigo from Ragna Ferox. Noire and Mora from Plegia. Even Gerome from Roseanne. All of our countries would be represented. The young Shepherds also get along well enough, so they wouldn't cause problems." Robin internally winced when he said that, suddenly reminded of all of the times he had had to scold the young Shepherds. "Or at least not many. I think they're the best shot we have."

Flavia shot a look at Basilio. "I have no problems with that. Do you old man?"

Basilio glared at Flavia before a small smirk crossed his face. "It's not my decision. I'm not on the throne. But I do agree it's probably the best shot we have."

"That would work for Ylisse," Chrom said, glancing at Reflet who nodded in agreement.

All eyes turned to Virion, the only one who hadn't agreed yet. Virion frowned, mulling it over. "If Gerome wants to go, he can. I'll leave the decision to him and his family. But I must warn you of something." Virion sat forward and crossed his arms. "While I don't know the details, Fódlan has problems with monsters called Demonic Beasts. The people of Fódlan cut down such monsters any time they find them. It's entirely possible that if they see Nah, Mora, or Yarne transform into their beast forms that they'll mistake them for a Demonic Beast and mercilessly attack them."

A pit opened up in the bottle of Robin's stomach. The thought of sending his daughter to a place that could potentially turn against her made Robin's heart race. Robin looked over at Reflet and Chrom, who had similar reactions. "Thank you for the warning Virion." Robin eventually forced himself to say. "I'll bring that up with them." Virion contently nodded and leaned back on his chair. Robin looked over the faces of the others. "If there's nothing else to talk about I think we should stop for the day."

  
  


\-----------------∞-----------------

  
  


The Young Shepherds gathered together at Robin’s request. Reflet, Lissa, and Chrom had gone off to see if they could find the letter the Church of Seiros had sent, so it was up to Robin to explain the situation to the kids. Lucina scanned the room to make sure everyone was accounted for. Once she was certain everyone was here she nodded to Robin. “Everyone is here. What did you need to speak with us about?”

Robin felt the knot in his stomach tighten. He took a quick breath in an attempt to calm his nerves a bit. “I need to ask you guys for a favor. We received an offer from the Church of Seiros over in Fódlan. They offered us an opportunity to send some students to their Officer Academy. The others and I have talked about it and we think it’d be a great opportunity for us. We want to send you guys over there.”

“Wait, why send  _ us  _ father?” Mora tilted her head.

“If my information is correct,” Laurent adjusted his glasses, “the Officer’s Academy is a combat school. We already know how to fight well enough, sir.”

“Yeah, you  _ saw _ us fight against Walhart. We’re pretty great!” Cynthia beamed as she elbowed Gerome next to her. "Right Gerome?" Gerome grunted instead of replying.

“I do not doubt your combat abilities. This is more meant to help us build relations with the countries of Fódlan.” Robin explained. “After everything that has happened, we need to rebuild our relations with other countries. Having you guys attend this school with nobles from the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance would help our efforts to bridge the gap between the countries of Altea and Fódlan. I won’t force any of you to go, but it would be a great help if some of you attended this Academy.” 

The kids looked between each other for a moment. Robin understood their hesitation. They had spent their whole lives fighting for this peace, and now they were being asked to leave that to go across the sea and attend a strange school before they could even appreciate what they have fought for.

Lucina stepped up first. “I am willing to go. It’s been a while since I was there last.”

Robin’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait. You’ve been there before?”

“It was with the might of the Goddess Sothis that we could turn back the hands of time. It was by her grace that we took up arms to slay the foul Grima.” Owain shouted, striking a pose.

“Yeah,” Severa said awkwardly. “Their Goddess has dominion over time, so we had to go to Fódlan to come back to this time.” 

“I see.” Robin hesitantly nodded. “I had no idea.”

“I wouldn’t mind going back there again.” Severa continued. “Especially since it hasn’t been destroyed by Grima. We could see what the place is actually supposed to look like.” She turned to Noire next to her and nudged her a bit. “Wouldn’t you like to go?”

Noire jumped a bit. “Uh, um… I guess it wouldn’t be so bad… Especially without Risen hunting us. There were a few places I wanted to see there...”

“The hero of darkness shall also accompany you on this journey.” Owain loudly proclaimed. 

“The Officer’s Academy seemed pretty important to Fódlan in the destroyed future,” Laurent noted. “Studying there could help me along with my research. I would like to accompany the others.”

“If Lucina is going, then I’ll go too.” Inigo threw an arm around Lucina’s shoulder.

“Guess I better come along then too. That way someone can keep the rest of you in line.” Kjelle said.

"I'm coming too! After all, you'll need a hero like me for help." Cynthia nodded. 

Gerome glanced at Cynthia. "Guess that means I'll be coming too. I can’t have you running off into danger alone." 

"Well, if everyone else is going, I'll go too." Brady shrugged. 

“Guess I’ll come too.” Mora shrugged and smiled. “Can’t let you guys have all of the fun on your own.” She turned to Morgan and smirked. "You coming?"

"Of course I am." Morgan smiled. "I'd love to see the place."

Nah and Yarne looked at each other nervously. "Uh, Mora. You shouldn't agree so quickly." Nah frowned. 

Mora blinked in surprise. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You two know about the Demonic Beasts, don't you?" Robin frowned. It made sense, especially if they had been there before.

"Yeah." Yarnes dipped his head. "As long as they're around, we won't be able to transform. Not to mention people will just think we're freaks in general with the ears and stuff."

"Wait, really?" Morgan's jaw dropped. She reached up and felt her pointed ears that poked out her hair. "I had no idea."

"That's how it was last time." Yarne shook his head. 

"But this time we'll be going as guests of the Church, not soldiers." Lucina pointed out. "While there's nothing we can do about you guys not being able to transform over there, no one would be foolish enough to ridicule you about your appearance while we're there."

"I suppose that's true." Nah tapped her chin. The three of them looked at each other nervously. 

"You guys don't have to go if you feel uncomfortable about it." Robin pointed out. "We already have plenty of volunteers now."

"I… I still want to go, Father." Mora reaffirmed, looking her father dead in the eye. "As long as I'm able to leave if something happens, I'm sure I'll be fine."

Nah nodded softly. "Yeah. If we had something like that in place, we wouldn't have to worry about being trapped there." 

"I'd feel much more comfortable going if I knew I had the option to leave," Yarne said.

Lucina looked at Robin. "Do you think we could line that up?"

"It shouldn't be too difficult," Robin said. He looked over the Young Shepherds, a soft warmth growing in his chest. He was proud that all of them were willing to rise to the occasion one more time. "I'll write them a letter explaining that you all wish to attend tonight. I'll tell you as soon as we hear something."

  
  


\-----------------∞-----------------

  
  


Ylisse sent a letter off to Garreg Mach, apologizing for their late response. They explained that they had up to 14 students interested in attending the Officers Academy, though if that was too many students they could send fewer. Weeks passed and they got a letter back. Lady Rhea was thrilled to hear that Ylissean students would be attending Garreg Mach. The Academy was willing to make a new house for the Ylissean students, and that they'd have the opportunity to help name the new class. Lady Rhea gave the dates for school, and with that, the plan was set. By the end of the month, the Young Shepherds were boarding the ship to Fódlan. The Shepherds gathered together at the docks to send their kids off.

"You be safe now, you hear?" Reflet said as she and Chrom hugged Morgan and Lucina close. "I know we're sending you for political reasons, but don't forget to enjoy yourself."

"We won't mother." Morgan nuzzled into her shoulder. 

"Mother, Father, we have to go," Lucina said, glancing at the ship. The others had already said goodbye to their parents and were beginning to board the ship.

"So soon?" Chrom whispered as he pulled everyone closer. 

"I promise you we'll send letters as soon as we get there," Morgan promised, his voice muffled from being in the center. When their parents didn’t move, Lucina and Morgan glanced at each other. With a quick nod, they worked together to pry themselves out of their parents’ arms. 

Chrom and Reflet glanced at each other and chuckled. "Alright. Good luck out there.” Chrom said.

“And remember to enjoy yourselves out there. No matter what happens, we’re proud of you,” Reflet added. 

Morgan and Lucina smiled. “We know mother.” 

They said their last goodbyes and climbed aboard the ship. The Shepherds lined the docks to wave off the ship as it left the harbor. Nobles and commoners, foreigners and natives, regardless of who they were they happily stood side by side. Morgan stood at the back of the ship, watching as the coastline faded away behind them. It’d be weeks until they saw land again. None of the Shepherd were particularly bothered by that. They were used to the long trip between the Altean and Valm continents. While the trip to Fódlan would be a bit longer, it’d be hard to notice as the days on the open blue blurred together. 

  
  


\-----------------∞-----------------

  
  


The days eventually melted away, idle chatter filling most of their time. The kids imagined what Fódlan would be like without Grima’s destruction. They had heard stories of the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance before Grima’s rebirth, but those had all been long gone by the time they got to Fódlan. Only a handful of brilliant warriors survived 20 or so years of Grima’s reign. As they talked about their ruined time, Lucina came to a decision for the group. 

“You can’t be serious about this!” Mora protested. 

“I am,” Lucina affirmed. “I don’t think we should bring up the fact that we’re from another time at all, so I’m ordering you guys to never speak of it.”

“And why not?” Kjelle asked. “It’s not like that will do much harm. No one can go back through time without Sothis’s approval.”

“I’m more worried about how that will reflect on our people. Ylisse sending elite warriors from a destroyed timeline who helped kill a god to a foreign school instead of normal students. How would that reflect on our people? Not to mention it might be polarizing to our new classmates to hear such an outrageous tale.” The others muttered to themselves. Lucina held her breath. “All I ask is that we avoid talking about it. We don’t need to pretend like it didn’t happen, but we shouldn’t be going around telling others about it either.” 

The others glanced at each other, not wanting to speak up first. "I mean, it makes sense," Inigo spoke up and all eyes turned to him. He awkwardly cleared his throat and sunk back in his seat. He glanced at Lucina, hoping for some sort of support from her. She smiled and nodded softly. Inigo took a deep breath before he continued. "We should be trying to avoid causing problems. If people find out that we're not even from this time, it's just going to make this more complicated."

"Not to mention people won't even believe us." Nah chimed in. "We're already going to have a hard time explaining things as it is. We don't need to make it worse." Everyone muttered in agreeance, though no one seemed happy about it.

"Thank you, everyone. I know it’s not ideal, but we need to be careful about what we say to our new allies." Lucina nodded.

"Uh, what should we do if they do ask us about it?" Yarne worried.

"The likelihood of that happening is extremely low," Laurent said.

"Yeah, but  _ what if _ ?" Yarne pressed. 

"Like what if someone asks why we're so good at fighting?" Noire nervously piped up. "Most people our age aren't trained like us. Not in this timeline at least."

"If that comes," Mora stood up, "or any similar situation, just bring up the war against the Mad King. It was a severe war that seriously harmed all of Altea. That should be able to cover most of our problems." 

Silence hung in the air for a moment. Lucina glanced over everyone's faces. "So? How does that sound?" One by one the Shepherds agreed to that plan. Lucina's face lit up. "Thank you for your understanding. I owe you all."

  
  


\-----------------∞-----------------

  
  


"Land ho!"

Those long-awaited words filled the Shepherds with excitement. They clambered over themselves to catch a glimpse of Enbarr from the bow of the ship. A variety of buildings, both large and small, could be seen as they approached. People in clothes the Shepherds had never seen before casually walked through the streets. The Shepherds marveled at the sights that were laid out before them. It was nothing like their own timeline. Enbarr in this time looked peaceful, like a painted picture as opposed to reality. A flock of wild wyverns flew overhead as the ship entered the harbor. The ship's crew rushed around to prepare to dock.

"Everyone, grab your stuff! Don't leave anything behind." Lucina shouted over the commotion on deck. “We won’t be able to come back to get anything if you leave it behind.” She slung one of her bags over her shoulder before scanning her surroundings again. They’d be living in Fódlan for the next year, yet it didn’t feel real. The last time Lucina had been here, the ground had been soaked in the blood of the innocent while the remains of their settlements burned to ash around them. Enbarr had been practically destroyed, yet here it was peaceful and calm. It was almost like an idyllic dream, and Lucina feared waking up. 

“Nervous?” Inigo put a hand on Lucina’s shoulder. Lucina jumped a bit at his touch. “You know there’s nothing to be worried about. We’re safe here.”

“I know,” Lucina whispered. “But it’s hard not to remember what happened here last time.”

“I understand, but it won’t happen now. We changed fate.” 

Lucina nodded as she turned to look at Inigo. Despite the smile on his face, Inigo’s eyes were distant and hollow. Lucina knew he was pushing back those dark memories just like she was. “That we did. We just have to remember that. Our sacrifice was not in vain. Thank you for the reminder.” She gently kissed Inigo on the cheek. 

Inigo’s face turned red as he spun to look at Lucina. “O-oh. Uh, you’re welcome.” Inigo bashfully smiled.

"Hey, Luci!" Cynthia shouted from across the deck. "Can you help me move this?"

"Sure." Lucina waved to Cynthia. She smiled at Inigo one last time. "I'll see you around." 

"R-right." Inigo nodded.

The Shepherds gathered their things and headed down the docks. When they reached the end of the docks, a group of soldiers approached them. They introduced themselves as the Knights of Seiros and explained that they had been sent there to escort the Shepherds to Garreg Mach. The Shepherds were thankful to have a guide on their way to a new place. 

By the time they got to Garreg Mach, the Shepherds were exhausted from the trip. The sun was high in the sky as they entered Garreg Mach, but all the Shepherds cared about was getting some rest. Before the Shepherds had a chance to look around though, they were ushered up to an audience chamber on the second floor. The audience chamber had high arching ceilings with several chandeliers hanging, an ornate stained glass window on the far side, and what looked to be an office in a room to the left. A beautiful woman with striking green hair stood waiting in the room.

"Welcome." The woman called as the Shepherds approached. "I hope that your travels were quiet."

"They were," Lucina said. "It was smooth sailing the whole time. We had no problems the entire trip."

"I am glad to hear that." She smiled. "My name is Lady Rhea. I am the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros."

"I am Princess Lucina Lowell." Lucina bowed. She had never gotten to meet the Archbishop in the ruin timeline. Apparently Lady Rhea had lost her life in a battle against a criminal by the name of the Flame Emperor that threatened Fodlan around the time Grima was revived. Would Rhea meet a similar end in this timeline? Lucina pushed those thoughts to the side. "Thank you for inviting us to attend the Officer's Academy. It is a great honor to be here."

"It is an honor to have all of you attending our fair school. I pray that you will enjoy your time here in Fódlan and that you will learn much as you study." 

The entrance to the audience chamber swung open as a green-haired man marched in. "Apologies for my lateness." The man said as he stopped at Rhea's side. 

"No need for apologies," Rhea said. "Are the other students settled in?"

The man nodded. "Yes. Professor Manuela and Professor Hanneman are finishing up with the last of the Golden Deer students. They should be done before long."

"That is good to hear." Rhea nodded. 

"I assume these are the students from Ylisse." The man said, scanning the room. His stern expression reminded Lucina a bit of Frederick. She hoped he wouldn’t be as strict as Frederick was. "My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the archbishop."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir. I am Princess Lucina." Lucina bowed her head. 

Rhea scanned the room, taking in all of the faces of the students. "I'm sure you are all exhausted from your traveling. You should go rest for the rest of the day. We can talk about your house tomorrow. Seteth, can you show them to the dorms?" 

"Of course, Lady Rhea." Seteth bowed to her before turning back to the student. “Follow me. I can show you a bit of Garreg Mach along the way.”

Seteth led the Shepherds down to where the dorms were, pointing out things like where the classrooms and dining hall was. They spotted some of the other students wandering around, but they were all busy moving into their dorms so there weren't many introductions made. Seteth showed them to their dorms, tucked away in the southwest corner of Garreg Mach. Lucina put Morgan and Mora in charge of figuring out rooming while the others carried their stuff over. Within a couple of hours, they were all moved into their rooms. Most of the Shepherds decided to turn in for the night while a couple stayed up to continue looking around. Laurent, Morgan, and Mora went to look through what the library had to offer. Kjelle decided to check out the training ground before she went to bed. Gerome went to put Minerva in the stables with the other wyverns, since he had insisted that she come with them. Everyone else settled in for the night, exhausted from the long march over.

  
  


\-----------------∞-----------------

  
  


After breakfast, the Shepherds were summoned to the audience chamber once again. Both Lady Rhea and Seteth were there by the time the Shepherds entered.

"You wanted to see us?" Lucina asked.

"That is correct." Seteth nodded. "We wanted to speak with you about your class. If you have not noticed by now, the Officers Academy is composed of three houses of students, each of which is closely affiliated with the student’s region of origin. The Black Eagle House is for students from the Adrestian Empire. The Blue Lion House is for students from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. And lastly, there is the Golden Deer House, which is for students of the Leicester Alliance."

"Since there were so many of you who wished to come to the Academy, I thought it best to make a house all to yourself instead of trying to split you among the three existing houses," Rhea explained. "That being said, I would love your input on the house name and its associated color. That way it may reflect your home just as much as the other houses do."

"It'd be an honor to help with that." Lucina bowed her head.

Morgan raised his hand. "May I ask  _ why _ the other houses are named the way they are? It might spark some ideas for us."

"Of course." Seteth stroked his beard. "The eagle associated with the Black Eagles refers to the twin-headed eagle on the Adrestian Empire's coat of arms, while black is the traditional color of the Empire's armor. For the Blue Lions, their name is a reference to the honorary title of the first king of Faerghus and his brilliant blue garments. The Golden Deer was named after the sacred creature after the same name said to have protected Leicester since time immemorial."

"As you can see," Rhea said, "each house is named after something significant to each country's origins. So, do you have any ideas of what to name this new house?" The Shepherds thought silently for a moment. 

“Since the other houses are based off of animals that means something to them,” Nah spoke up, “what if we did dragons?”

“Why dragons though?” Kjelle frowned. 

“Altea has a long history with dragons.” Nah explained. “Specifically Naga and the other manaketes. The royal family of Ylisse was even blessed by Naga countless times over the past 2000 years.”

“That’s great and all, but it sounds like we’re trying to one-up the other houses,” Severa growled. “Dragons would stick out like a sore thumb compared to the eagles, lions, and deer.”

“We could name ourselves after Mr. Bunny here.” Inigo teased as he poked at Yarne.

“Don’t you even think about it.” Yarne glared as he pushed Inigo away.

"What if," Mora stepped in between Yarne and Inigo to keep them from fighting, "we did something based off of the Shepherds? Something like sheep or ram."

"The Shepherds  _ are _ the most elite warriors on the entire continent. It only makes sense we'd do something with them." Morgan added. 

“It is also something that represents all affiliated members.” Laurent added. The others muttered to each other for a moment. The talking died down after a minute and Laurent continued on. “Are there any objections?” 

When no one responded, Mora stretched her arms up in victory. “Great! It’s decided. Either rams or sheep, depending on which sounds better.”

"Yeah, but what would we do for color?" Cynthia piped up. "Blue was already taken by the Blue Lions."

“We can count orange out since it’s so close to red and gold.” Severa said. “I don’t want to be sharing colors with the other houses.”

“How about purple?” Mora suggested.

“That’s more of Plegia’s color than Ylisse’s.” Gerome shook his head. 

"Ylisse's secondary color is white." Kjelle pointed out. "Wouldn't that work?"

"I wouldn't want white as our house color." Severa wrinkled her nose. "It gets dirty way too easily."

"Doesn't only the house leader wear the color though?" Kjelle raised an eyebrow.

"Despite being called the "Black Eagles" their house seems to be associated with the color red." Laurent noted, shooting a look at Seteth.

"That is correct." Seteth nodded. "The Black Eagles house color is in fact red despite their name."

"Then we could call ourselves the White Sheep or something. But what other color should we pick as our house color?" Inigo frowned. 

"The darkness whispering within me demands that we have the truest of celadon as our banner." Owain beamed. Severa instantly elbowed him in the side before he could add anything else cringe worthy.

"Celadon... Isn't that a pale green? Why would you pick a pale green?" Nah frowned.

Owain held his side where Severa had hit him and cleared his throat. "Uh, I was thinking because of Exalt Emmeryn. She was always wearing that green color, you know? Even though her reign was short, it completely changed life all across the continent for the better."

"That's true." Inigo ran his fingers through his bangs. "Even the most remote villages in Regna Ferox know of her sacrifice to save both her people and her enemy from bloodshed. You'd be hard pressed to find a better ruler in recent times than her."

“I agree with that sentiment.” Lucina nodded. “The White Sheep and pale green. Does everyone agree with that?” She paused as everyone agreed one by one. Lucina then turned to Seteth and Rhea. “Sorry we left you two out of all of that. Does this work for you as well?”

“It’s alright.” Rhea smiled. “I’m glad to see so much passion on the subject. From now on, you shall be known as the White Sheep.”

“It will take us a few days to get a banner for your classroom, but rest assured that it will be done as soon as possible.” Seteth said. “Now all that’s left is to choose a house leader.”

“That’d be Lucina then.” Yarne said. He had probably meant to be quiet, but his voice carried through the entire room.

“I’m fine with that.” Severa nodded. 

“She’s always been the leader any time we needed one.” Morgan said.

“It would be ineffective to change leaders now.” Laurent agreed.

“Hang on, don’t I get a say in this?” Lucina spoke up.

“Do you have a problem with leading us again?” Mora tilted her head.

“Well, no…”

“Then it’s decided!” Owain shouted as he threw an arm around Lucina’s shoulders. “Our brave Lucina shall lead us into a bright future yet again.”

“It’s just classes. No need to exaggerate.” Kjelle sighed.

“Lucina, do you accept the role of house leader?” Rhea asked.

“I do.” Lucina nodded as she pried Owain's arm away from her neck. 

“I hope that you lead your house well. I pray that the Goddess will protect you all.” Rhea bowed her head, almost as though she was praying.

“If we are done here, then I would like The White Sheep to come with me quickly.” Seteth said. “We need to get all of you uniforms before class next week.”

“Aw, we have to wear uniforms?” Cynthia puffed up her cheeks as Seteth started to lead them out of the room.

“Cynthia,” Gerome put a hand on her shoulder, “we knew we were going to wear uniforms.”

“Don’t worry. They're not that bad.” Brady said as he followed Seteth out of the room. “Yer probably going to like them actually.”

“You really think so?” Cynthia gasped.

Lucina hesitated in the audience chamber for a second as the others left. She noticed that Rhea looked a bit distant as the students filed out, but Lucina didn’t comment on it. “Thank you for everything.” Lucina bowed slightly to the archbishop before she left. She couldn’t shake the somewhat haunted look she thought she had seen in Rhea’s eyes. Lucina shook her head as she followed the others. “I’m just seeing things.” She whispered under her breath. “Maybe I’m just overly cautious because of the Grimleal. The Church of Seiros is fine. Right? What’s the worst they could do?”

"Hey, Lucina!" Morgan's voice dragged Lucina back into reality. "Come on! Don't fall behind."

"I'm coming." Lucina called as she picked up her pace.

  
  


\-----------------∞-----------------

  
  


With the help of both Seteth and professor Manuela, the White Sheep managed to all get their uniforms by the end of the day. Morgan and Mora wore similar outfits, as they often did, with the normal uniform jackets, bottoms similar to their tactician wear, knee high boots, hoods, and messenger bags. Owain had opted to wear the uniform vest and roll up his sleeves so he could show his brand. Inigo wore a similar outfit but with the jacket instead of the vest. Brady had chosen the normal uniform, but decided to wear his fingerless gloves instead of the gloves the school provided. Kjelle picked an outfit consisting of a high waisted skirt with shorts underneath, tall boots, no jacket or vest, and arm guards. Cynthia chose to wear her thigh high boots with a longer skirt, corset, and a jacket tied around her waist. Severa wore a shorter skirt, black tights, a vest, and tied her hair up with black and gold ribbons that matched the uniform. Gerome stubbornly refused to take off his mask, much to Seteth’s dismay, but wore the rest of the uniform normally with an additional belt across his chest. As a taguel, Yarne wasn’t used to wearing normal human clothing, so he only wore the basic white shirt and capris pants along with the taguel leg guards he often wore. Laurent opted to wear the uniform vest, looser fitting pants, gloves, and his normal hat. Noire wore a dark undershirt, the uniform jacket that was buttoned up halfway, gloves, and her headband and feather. Nah picked out a knee length skirt, a loose fitting white shirt, a vest, and her red cape over the top.

Lucina was the last one to get her uniform. Manuela helped her pick out a high waisted skirt, dark tights, and knee high boots for Lucina to wear. She wore a dark jacket under her light green cape, which she wore over her left shoulder. She had opted to wear her fingerless gloves over the gloves provided by the Academy. She had a belt around her waist, which she attached Falchion and a dagger the school provided to. She adjusted her cape as she looked at herself in the mirror. 

"That looks wonderful on you darling." Manuela complimented.

"You think so?" Lucina tucked her hair behind her ear before she put her tiara back on. She worried that her tiara was a little much since her outfit was already more complex compared to the others she had seen. Lucina had always worn the tiara since she ascended to be the Exalt in the destroyed future. She had even worn it when she was disguised as Marth. Being without it just felt… wrong. Yet she hasn't seen anyone else wearing any sort of head accessories. She hoped she wasn't being too showy by wearing it.

"Of course darling. There's nothing to be worried about." Manuela put a reassuring hand on Lucina's shoulder. "I know you all are probably worried about all sorts of things. But remember, you're not alone here. If you need anything, I'll be glad to help."

"Thank you Professor Manuela. That means a lot." Lucina smiled.

A knock came from the door, drawing the girls' attention to it. "Who is it?" Manuela called.

"Seteth. May I come in?"

"Of course."

Seteth quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Have the female students been fitted for uniforms?"

"We just finished up." Manuela gestured to Lucina. "Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to inform Lucina of the exercise we are doing tomorrow."

"Exercise?" Lucina tilted her head.

"That is correct." Seteth nodded. "We will be putting all four Houses through a few training exercises to see where everyone stands."

“Training exercises so soon?”

"It will help us teachers get a better idea of what to do for class." Manuela explained. “But don’t worry. It’s not anything too complex. You’ll all do great.”

“You’ll be leaving for the Oghma Mountains in the morning.” Seteth continued. “Make sure you get a proper amount of rest tonight. Please inform the rest of your house as well.”

“I’ll inform them right away. Thank you for telling me. And thank you Manuela for your help.” Lucina bowed to both of them. 

"You're very welcome." Manuela smiled. 

“I should go inform the others right away. If you’ll excuse me.” Lucina slipped out into the hallway. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. They had barely gotten to Garreg Mach and now they were already leaving  _ again _ for training. Of course the Shepherds were used to moving so much from fighting in the war, but Lucina would be lying if she said she didn’t want to relax for a moment right now.

“Pardon the intrusion, but might you be the leader of the new house?” A blonde hair boy asked as he approached Lucina with a dark haired boy and a white haired girl.

Lucina noticed their blue, yellow, and red capes and realized they must be the other house leaders. “I am. You must be the leaders of the other houses, correct?”

“That is correct.” The white hair girl nodded. “My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg. I am the princess and heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire. I am also the leader of the Black Eagles."

“I'm Claude von Riegan.” The yellow caped man waved at Lucina. “I'm from the ruling house of the Leicester Alliance and the leader of the Golden Deer this year, but let’s not worry too much about all that madness.”

“I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus.” Dimitri bowed. “I am the house leader of the Blue Lions. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine.” Lucina smiled. “I am Lucina Lowell. I am the princess of the Halidom of Ylisse.”

“So is it true you guys named your new house the ‘White Sheep’? Little odd if you ask me. What’s with that name?” Claude asked.

"We chose to name our house after the Shepherds. They're an elite group of warriors where we come from." Lucina explained. "It only made sense for us to name our house that, since the other three houses are named after culturally significant things from your countries.

"I see." Dimitri nodded. "They must be pretty important if you decide to name your house after them."

"I am afraid I have never heard of the Shepherds before." Edelgard frowned. 

"Neither have I." Claude said. "Could you tell us a little bit more about them?

"Of course." Lucina smiled. "The Shepherds are made up of elite warriors from all across the Altean continent, including members of every royal family in the land. They’re tasked with keeping peace by taking out bandits and helping countries in need. I suppose you could say they fill a similar role to that of the Knight of Seiros in that way. While they had initially started out as a handful of friends, they now hold the power to turn the tides of battle or even end wars all on their own.” Lucina almost went on about how they had even killed Grima, the God of Destruction, but she held her tongue. Even though that was their greatest achievement to date, Lucina knew better than to boast about it at a time like this.

"Sounds like these Shepherds have quite the reputation where you come from." Dimitri commented. "I would love to meet them some day."

"I'd be thrilled to meet them as well." Claude nodded. "I love to see these guys in action too. An elite group of warriors, gathered from across an entire continent. It sounds almost like a legend of some sort."

"All of the White Sheep's parents are actually Shepherds, so if they ever visit I'll be sure to introduce you." Lucina promised.

"That would be great. I can't wait." Claude said. "You better follow through with that."

"I will. Don't worry." Lucina smiled. 

“Since this is your first time here, would you like me to show you around?” Dimitri offered. “I’m sure there’s a lot of Garreg Mach you haven’t seen yet.”

Lucina slowly shook her head. “I appreciate the offer Dimitri, but I’m afraid I must decline. I need to talk to my classmates about the training exercises we’re doing tomorrow.”

“Oh right. Those.” Claude frowned slightly. “I’m kinda surprised they’re sending us out for training right away like this.”

“Apparently it’s to help the professors figure out how much training each of us has.” Lucina explained. “At least, that’s what they told me.”

“You’re not worried, are you?” Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “The knights will be accompanying us tomorrow.”

“I’m more worried of my brother staying up too late.” Lucina admitted lightheartedly. “I don’t want to be the one to drag him all the way out to the Oghma Mountains if he doesn’t get enough rest.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother here. Guess your whole house is made up of royals then.” Claude teased. “Actually, you guys have a lot of students in your house. Almost twice as many compared to the other houses.” 

“That is true.” Edelgard nodded. “I wonder why your house was allowed so many students.”

“I have no idea.” Lucina admitted. “Then again, I’m still surprised that the Officer’s Academy extended an invitation to us at all. It’s a pretty exclusive school for Fódlan. For outsiders to be invited is unheard of as far as I know.”

“It’s true that the Officer’s Academy isn’t usually open to people outside of Fódlan.” Dimitri stroked his chin. “Having so many here this year does seem almost unreal. That said, I do know that some students in the past have been from other countries however. In fact, isn’t there someone from Brigid attending this year?”

“Indeed.” Edelgard nodded. “Her name is Petra. I had expected her to be the only person outside of Fódlan to be attending with us this year. I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when I heard they were making a new house just for you.”

“Not that there’s anything wrong with outsiders, mind you.” Claude piped up. “I’m sure we’re all looking forward to spending the year with you.”

“Yes, of course.” Dimitri nodded. “I didn’t mean to imply anything negative with my comment. Please forgive me.”

“No worries. I didn’t take any offense.” Lucina smiled.

“Well, I suppose we should let you go inform your classmates of our trek tomorrow.” Dimitri continued. 

“Perhaps if you’re not dragging your brother tomorrow we can continue this conversation.” Clause jested. 

“Of course Claude. I’d love to get to know you more.” Lucina nodded.

“Great.” Claude smiled. “Come on you two. We better get ready to head out ourselves.”

The four house leaders said their goodbyes before going their separate ways. Lucina had appreciated how friendly and polite Claude and Dimitri had been. Edelgard had seemed a little more reserved compared to the boys, almost as though she was judging Lucina. Lucina wasn’t too bothered by it though. In fact, it actually reminded her of how Robin and Reflet were when she had first met them. They had both been so reserved and hesitant to trust at first, but had ended up being some of the greatest people Lucina had ever met. Lucina was sure that Edelgard would open up like the twins had as time went on.

Little did the White Sheep know what destiny they had entangled their fates with.

**Author's Note:**

> Also here are all of the Shepherd’s parentage, last names, and status I gave them if anyone is interested:  
> Nobility  
> Lucina Lowell (Child of Chrom and Reflet)  
> Morgan Lowell (Child of Chrom and Reflet)  
> Owain Langley (Child of Lissa and Gregor)  
> Mora Nash (Child of Robin and Tiki)  
> Kjelle Everhart (Child of Sully and Vaike)  
> Brady Themis (Child of Maribelle and Donnel)  
> Nah Klein (Child of Nowi and Ricken)
> 
> Commoner  
> Inigo Hyland (Child of Olivia and Henry)  
> Cynthia Willem (Child of Sumia and Frederick)  
> Severa Capello (Child of Cordelia and Gaius)  
> Gerome Bager (Child of Cherche and Kellam)  
> Yarne Nurmi (Child of Panne and Lon’qu)  
> Laurent Arkema (Child of Miriel and Stahl)  
> Noire McRae (Child of Tharja and Libra)


End file.
